Ability to list a method in the Constructors summary

[Nir Lisker]

Iv'e created a Reddit post [1] if you would like to add anything. I can
monitor it and when activity ceases I can bring it to your attention to
draw conclusions.

[1]
https://www.reddit.com/r/java/comments/9la6vj/opinions_request_would_you_like_to_see_factory/

On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 9:45 PM Jonathan Gibbons <jonathan.gibbons at oracle.com>
wrote:

> Nir,
>
> The level of interest could be interesting.  I do note that there is more
> of a trend in
> Java API design these days to use factory methods, e.g. the ".of(...)"
> pattern so that
> would lend weight to such a feature.
>
> That being said, it would then come down to the level of design and
> implementation
> work required to effect such a change, and whether the cost is worth the
> benefit.
>
> There would no doubt be a bikeshed discussion on where such an annotation
> might go,
> or whether to just use a documentation tag within the comment.  The best
> precedent
> would be @FunctionalInterface, but that is in java.lang, and there is
> quite a high bar
> to adding types to that package. Then we would have to look at changing
> the
> organization of the page, to move selected methods up into the
> Constructors table,
> and possibly renaming it to "Constructors and Factory Methods" or
> something like that.
>
> A simpler variation would be just another tab in the method table for
> "Factory Methods",
> perhaps automatically determining static methods that return the enclosing
> type. It
> would be interesting to see how many false-positives that would catch
> (i.e. without even
> using an annotation.)
>
> -- Jon
>
> On 10/02/2018 11:49 PM, Nir Lisker wrote:
>
> Hi Jon,
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> If I bring it up on the Java subreddit and see what people say, would it
> count as a measure for interest? How is "sufficient interest" evaluated,
> more or less?
>
> - Nir
>
> On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 2:27 AM Jonathan Gibbons <
> jonathan.gibbons at oracle.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On 10/02/2018 06:54 AM, Nir Lisker wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Many static methods are used to obtain an instance of a class,
>> functioning as a de-facto constructor and sometimes replacing it
>> altogether. These are factory or builder methods and the like.
>>
>> The problem is that while they function as constructors, they are hidden
>> between the rest of the methods in the JavaDoc. It is my understanding that
>> the Constructors section shows how to create an instance, while the Methods
>> section shows how to use it. In this case, the aforementioned methods will
>> fit better in the Constructors section.
>>
>> One way this can be solved is via an annotation on the method that would
>> list it under the Constructors, used at the developers discretion. As an
>> example, Toolkit is a singleton:
>>
>> public class Toolkit {
>>
>>     private final Toolkit TOOLKIT;
>>
>>     private Toolkit() {  ...  }
>>
>>     @Constructor
>>     public static getDefaultSystemToolkit() { return TOOLKIT; }
>> }
>>
>>
>> The annotation shows the intended way for a developer to obtain the
>> instance.
>>
>> I can submit an RFE if this is plausible. Otherwise, I'm open for other
>> solutions if you agree with the problem I presented.
>>
>> - Nir
>>
>>
>> Nir,
>>
>> It's not an unreasonable request, and has been suggested before, dating
>> back to 2002.
>>
>> That being said, there has not been sufficient interest to make it happen.
>>
>> See this JBS issue for one of the early requests:
>> https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-4619333
>>
>> -- Jon
>>
>
>
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